Christmas won’t be complete without the bright lights and the beautiful Christmas tree. These holiday decorations are fun to look at, but they can also be hazardous for children. Here’s how to deal with common accidents during the Christmas season:

Your child steps on a glass ornament- You can use clean hands or tweezers to remove the visible shards of glass. To make it stop bleeding, try elevating her foot and apply direct pressure to the wound using a clean cloth. Remember to wash the area with water and soap when the bleeding stops. Apply an antibiotic ointment, and bandage the wound to avoid infection.

A candle tips over and burns your child’s hand – Run her hand under cold water for 15 – 20 minutes. Apply a topical antibiotic ointment (prescribe by the doctor). Don’t use petroleum jelly or butter which could cause an infection. You can give your child ibuprofen to lessen the pain and swelling. Always keep her elevated.

Your toddler gets an electrical shock from holiday lights. – Unplug the lights immediately. If you can’t turn off the power, don’t touch your child. Stand in a dry area and use a wooden object (such as a broom handle) to push your child away from the current. Once he’s free, check if he’s breathing normally. If he’s unconscious, start CPR or bring him to the hospital immediately. Even if he seems okay, call your pediatrician or take your child to the E.R. – he could have internal injury.

Great Recommended reads from around our network?

Holiday safety tips for parents

Christmas shopping with your little one

My child’s Christmas wish list

There has been some research done about kids and accidents, including what gender and age groups have them the most, and what kinds of accidents they have.  Here, in no particular order, are 10 interesting pieces of information about kids and accidents.  These facts only apply to accidents that happen to kids.

1. 74.5% of all accidents that befall kids happen to kids under the age of 5.
2. Boys are more accident prone than girls (they’ve obviously never met my kids!).
3. The most accidents for both sexes happen to 2 and 3 year olds.
4. Cuts are the most common type of accident, followed by falls and poisoning.
5. Other common accidents include burns, object in the nostril, bloody noses, head injuries, choking, bruises, stings, broken bones, and strained muscles.
6. 1 in 3 children using a walker suffers an injury because of it.  Most of them fall down steps in their walkers.
7. Lacerations are the most common playground injury.
8. 25% of gunshot wounds that are not fatal result in permanent brain damage.
9. Swings and slides cause the most playground injuries.
10. The #1 cause of death in all children up to age 14 is car crashes.  70% of kids aren’t properly restrained in cars.

So, heads up, parents.  We can’t wrap them in bubble wrap (they get all sweaty), but we can minimize the risks as much as possible.